Landing apparatus for airplanes



Jan. 7, 1936.

, J. GOLDMAN 2,027,162

LANDING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES Filed July 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l /NVENTOR:

BY i

ATTORNEY.

damn 1936.. J, GOLDMAN' 2,027,162

LANDING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES Filed July 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nil Axrih: $17,, II IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES LANDING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES Julius Goldman, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 2, 1935, Serial No. 29,483

5 Claims.

This invention relates to landing apparatus for airplanes, and the general object thereof is to provide alanding apparatus, including a rotor which is normally folded up and positioned upon or within the fuselage of the plane, and which may be released and caused to open up and revolve to land the plane safely.

Another object is to provide a toy airplane constructed and arranged with a winding motor to be wound up to drive the propeller of the plane, and including a landing rotor which is normally folded up and positioned upon or within the fuselage of the plane and which is automatically released by means actuated by the motor when the motor runs down, whereupon said landing rotor is caused to open up and revolve so as to land the plane safely.

A further object is to provide a landing apparatus for airplanes in which a landing rotor maybe brought into operation and allowed to rotate freely or driven by power to land an airplane safely.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter as the specification progresses.

The invention is illustrated in the annexe drawings which form a partof this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a toy airplane embodying my invention and showing my landing rotor unfolded into operative position for landing an airplane.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the airplane and my invention as illustrated in Fig. 1, but my landing rotor folded up" and secured in position.

upon the fuselage of the plane for normal flying of the plane.

' Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofan airplane and my invention as shown in Fig. 1, showing my landing rotor released from the fuselage and unfolded and elevated above the fuselage. of the plane into position for landing the plane.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly of an airplane embodying another form of my invention, showing the landing rotor folded up within a pocket in the top of the fuselage of the plane for normal flying of the plane.

Fig. 5 is a view like Figl 4, except that the landing' rotor is shown released, unfolded and elevated above the fuselage of theplane into operative position for landing the plane.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a plane view, on a small scale, of Fig. 5.

Fig. Bis a vertical longitudinal section of my landing apparatus, as illustrated in Figs. 4 to broken away,

'7 inclusive, showing in full lines the wings of the rotor folded. up and in their lowered position and locked in such position, and showing in dotted lines the wings of the rotor unfolded and in their elevated and operative position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of my landing rotor on an enlarged scale,

illustrating the locking means for locking the wings of the rotor in spaced operative relation and showing said locking means in unlocked 10 position.

Fig. 10 is a view like Fig. 9, except that the wing locking means is shown in locked position.

Fig-11 is a horizontal section of one of the rotor wing) hubs, taken on line ll--H of Fig. 9. 15

,Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of another rotor wing hub, taken on "line l2-l2 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a vertical cross section of the power driving means for my landing rotor, taken on line iii-l3 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of an independent power driving means for the rotor.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to..3 of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters, I 25 indicates a toy airplane, including generally a fuselage 2, wings 3, empennage 4, propeller 5, motor 6 for driving said propeller, landing carriage 1, and rear support 8. The motor 6 may comprise a plurality of elastic bands 9 connected 30 at their forward ends to the propeller shaft I II and connected at their rear ends as will be hereinafter described. v

Myinvention, as applied to a toy airplaneas shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, comprises a pole ll, upstanding from the top of the'fuselage 2 near the forward end thereof, a novel foldable landing rotor l2 turnably and slidably mounted on' said pole, and rotor holding and releasing means [3 for normally holding said rotor in 40 folded position to the fuselage 2 and for automatically releasing said rotor when the'power of the motor 6 is about spent, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. The pole ll has a cap ll on its upper end. The landing rotor I2 comprises a hub I4 and a plurality of blades l5, I6 and H, the blade l5 being rigidly connected to said hub bya rigidconnection l8 and the blades l6 and I1 being hingedly connected to said, hub by hinge connections l9, so that said blades may be swung respectively, one over and the other under said rigidly connected blade IS. The blades I6 and I! are connected together near their inner ends .by an elastic band 20, which band is expanded over thehub I when the said 5 2 ace-7,162

holding means l3, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth. The rotor holding and automatic releasing means l3 includes a spring arm 2|, formed with a coil 22 nearits lower end, and its lower end secured tothe fuselage 2 at 23, while said arm extends upwardly through said fuselage and is bent intermediate its ends into a V-shaped connecting member 24 and bent at its upper end above the fuselage, forwardly into a latch 25, the rear ends of the elastic bands 9 of motor 6 being connected to said spring arm 2| by said connecting member 25, and said latch being constructed and arranged to extend over the rear end and-engage the upper surface of the rotor blade l6, under the influence of the elastic bands 9 of -motor 6 while said motor is wound up, and when said'blade i6 is swung over the blade I 5'and the blade I! is swung under the blade l5, and the rotor I2 is in its lowermost position on the pole H, whereby the rotor I2 is releasably held in folded position to the fuselage 2. A spring 26- surrounds the pole H under the rotor l2 and rests upon the top of the fuselage 2. The operation of my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is as follows: The blades I 6 and I! of the rotor I2 are swung on their hinges l9 against the tension of the elastic band 20, whiclris drawn over the hub it until the blade I! rests under the blade I 5 and 35 the blade l6 rests over'the blade I5, and said the rotor [2 is lowered on the pole ll compressing the spring'26. The propeller 5 is then turned and the motor 6. wound up. by twisting the elastic bands 9 of said motor together, which shortens 40 the length of said-bands and draws the spring arm 2| forwardly until the arm latch is drawn over the upper side of the outer end of the blade l6, whereby the rotor 12 is releasably held in its lowered and folded position on the fuselage 2. The airplane I is then thrown into the air, and as the propeller 5' is released it is rotated by the unwinding of the elastic bands 9 of the motor 6, which causes the plane to fly, until said bands are unwound, during which operation the spring coil 22 of lever 2i swings said lever rearwardlp until the latch 25 escapes the outer end of the rotor blade I6, whereupon the rotorblades I6 and I! are respectively swung from over and from under the blade l5, by the spring 20, into operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, while the resistance of the air against said blades rotates the rotor l2 and causes the rotor under the influence of the spring 26 to rise on the pole I l until the hub of the rotor engages the cap H on the upper end of the pole, and the rotor continues to rotate at the top of said pole and causes the plane I to descendslowly and land safely.

Referring with particularity to Figs. 4 to 13 of 65 the drawings, 30 designates an airplane, including a, fuselage 3|, wings 32, empennage 33, propeller 34, motor 35, landing carriage 36 and rear endsupport 31. The airplane 30 may be eitherin the form of a conventional airplane or in the 70 form of a toy. When my' invention is embodied in a conventional airplane the motor will be the usual gas engine, and when embodied in, the

form of a-toy airplane the motor 85 may be in the ,form of a clock spring motor or any other suitable form of motor.

blades all rest directly over the fuselage 2, while My invention when applied to a conventional airplane, as illustrated in Figs. 4 to 13 inclusive, comprises a novel foldable landing rotor 38, a mounting 39 for said rotor, means 40 for projectingsaid rotor above the fuselage 3! and 5 maintaining said rotor in said projected position, a pocket 4! in the top of saidvfuselage to receivethe rotor 38 with its wings folded, oneabOve-the-other, during normal use of the plane,

and means 42 for holding the rotor with its 10 wings folded and while in it's lowered position within the fuselage pocket ll, and driving means 43 for said rotor.

The landing rotor 38 may be of any suitable form; it being shown in the form of a gyroplane, 1 comprising a plurality of Wings 64, 45 and 46, hubs 47, t8 and Q9, and a shaft 56 on which said hubs are mounted, said wings being pivoted at their inner ends to said hubs by horizontal pivots 5|, 52 and 53 respectively, so that said wings may 20 swing up or down from said hubs respectively. The hub dlis keyed to.the shaft by a key 54 and a lock pin; 55 is slidably mounted in a socket 56 in the upper side of said hub, which pin is pressed upwardly by a spring 5'! resting in said 25 socket below said pin, there being a socket 58 in the lower side of the hub 48 to receive the upper portion of said pin, when the wing 45 is in spaced operative relation to the wing\44, as illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings. A short finger piece 59 30 projects outwardly from the lock pin 55 through a slot 60 in the hub 31 for depressing said pin and withdrawing it from the socket 58 in the hub 48, so that the wing 45 may be swung on the shaft 50 with relation to the wing M. A lock pin 6| is 35 slidably mounted in a socket 62 in the upperside of the hub 48 and said pin is pressed upwardly by a spring 63 resting in the bottom of said socket 62, there being a socket 64 in' the lower side of the hub 49 to receive the upper portion of the 40 pin 6|, when the wing 46 is in spaced operative relation to the wing 45, as illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings. A finger piece 65 projects from the lock pin 6| through a slot 66 in the hub 48 for depressing said lock pin-and withdrawing it 15 from the socket 64 in hub 49, so that the wing 46 may be swung on the shaft 50 with relation to the wing 55. The hub 48 is formed with a recess 38 in its under side in which a spring 6! is coiled around the shaft 50, one end of said spring being 50 connectedto said shaft and. the other end of said spring being secured to said hub, as shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings. The hub 49 is formed with a recess 68 in its under side in which a spring 69 is coiled around the shaft '50, with one 55 end of said spring connected to said shaft and the other end of said spring connected to said hub 49. The shaft 50 is formed with a cap 10 on, its upper end which serves as an end thrust bearing against the upper end of the uppermost 60 hub 49 of the wing 46, whereby the hubs of the rotor 36 are prevented fromsliding off the upper .end of said shaft.

longitudinal axis of the plane and extends through the upper wall 13 of the fuselage, the lower end or base 14 of said standard resting upon the lower wall or floor 15 of the fuselage, and said base being secured to said floor by bolts 16. The standard H is formed with an internal 58, which piston is slidably fitted in the tubularstandard 1|, and a coil spring 18 in the lower end of said standard, the lower end of said spring resting upon the lower end wall'18 of said standard, and said piston resting upon the upper end of said spring.

The means 42 for holding the rotor 38 in its lowered position with its folded wings within the pocket 4| in the top of the fuselage 3|, comprises a pin 88 slidably mounted in a bearing 8| in the standard 1| and extending through the wall of said standard, for engaging the upper side of the piston 11 and holding said piston in its lowered position compressing the spring -18.

The driving means 43 for the rotor 38 comprises an elongated pinion 82 formed on the rotor shaft 58, a gear 83 in mesh with said pinion, a gear 84 secured on a shaft 85 in mesh with said gear 83, a worm gear 88 secured on said shaft 85, a worm 81 securedona shaft 88 and in mesh with said worm gear, a gear 88 on the forward end of said shaft rear end of the shaft 8| of \the motor 82 of the plane 38. The worm 8'! is splined on the shaft 88 by means of a spline 83 secured in said worm and a groove 84 in said shaft, in which groove said spline may slide, so shifted to cause the gear 88 to mesh with the motor pinion 88, or to unmeshsaid gear and pinion. A grooved collar 85 is secured on the shaft 88, and an operating lever 88, pivoted at its lower end to a bracket 81 on a wall of the fuselage 3|, has a pin 88 engaging the groove of said collar, so that, upon swinging said lever to the right or left, the shaft 88 is shifted'to cause the gear 88 to mesh with the gear 88 or to unmesh said gears.

The operation of nay-invention as illustrated in Figs. Ito 13 inclusive is as follows:

During normal flight and use of the airplane 38, the wings 44, 45 and 48 of the rotor 38 are folded with the wing 44 under the wing 45 and the wing 46 over the wing 45, the locking pins 55 and 8| being withdrawn from the sockets 58 and 84 respectively, and the rotor 38 lowered into the socket 4| in the top of the fuselage 3|, as shown in Fig. 4, and the rotor is held in such lowered position by the engagement of the pin 88 with the upper side of the piston 11, while the gear 88 is out of mesh with the pinion 88, so that the motor 8| will not drive the rotor.

When it is desired to land the plane during flight, the pilot withdraws the pin 88 out of engagement with the piston 1T, whereupon the spring 18, acting upon said piston, projects the rotor 38 upwardly above the plane until said piston engages the shoulder 1| in the upper end of the standard 1|, while the springs 81 and 88 swing the wings 45 and 48 respectively around on the shaft 50, until all of the wings 44, 45 and 48 are positioned equi-distant apart in operative position, as shown in Figs. and '1, in which position the locking pins 55 and 8| spring into the sockets 58 and 84 respectively, under the influence of the springs 51 and 83 respectively and lock the wings 44, 45 and 48 in their spaced operative ,relation, as illustrated in Fig. of thedrawings.

As the plane travels forwardly, the action of ,the air against the wings 44, 45 and 48 rotates the rotor 38, while the action of said rotating wings upon the air produces sufficient lift or resistthe rotor 38 com-.

88, and a pinion 88 onthe (I that the shaft 88 maybe the desired speed by the motor 8| of the plane,

upon shifting the gear, by means of the lever 86, into mesh with the motor pinion 88, whereby the motor is enabled to rotate the rotor through the medium of the pinion 88, gear 88, shaft 88, worm 81, worm gear 88, shaft 85, gears 84 and 83, pinion 82 and rotor shaft 58.

The rotor 38 may also be used for lifting the plane off the ground, under the power of the motor 8|. This is accomplished by withdrawing the pin 88 from the piston .11 and shifting the gear 88 into mesh with the pinion 88, whereupon the rotor is elevated by the spring 18 and the wingsof the rotor swung or unfolded into spaced operative relation, and the rotor is rotated by the motor 8| through the driving mechanism 43, as above described. The rotation of the rotor 38 by the motor at suflicient speed lifts the plane off the ground into the air.

The driving means shown in Fig. 14 of the drawings comprises a motor I8I, driven by a storage battery I82 through a circuit I83, a worm I84 on the motor shaft I85, and a worm gear I88 in mesh" with said worm I84 and splined on the shaft 88, as indicated at I81, said motor resting on the floor of the fuselage 3|.

In this specificationand the annexed drawings I disclose my invention in a form which I con sider desirable, but I do not limit my invention to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is to be understood, that in and by-the claims of this specification, I intend to cover my invention in embodied.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a toy airplane, a motor for driving the propeller of the plane, a lifting rotor mounted on the plane to be lowered toward the plane, when not in use, and to be elevated into operative position above the plane, means for holding said rotor in its lowered position, and means, actuated by said motor, when its power is reduced, for releasing said holding means from said rotor to enable said rotor to rise above the plane into its operative position.

2. In a toy air plane, a motor for driving the propeller of the plane, said motor comprising a plurality of elastic bands connected at one end to the propeller shaft, a lifting rotor mounted on the plane to be lowered toward the plane when not in use, andto be elevated into operative position above the plane, and means, connected to the other end of said elastic rotor in its lowered position, whensaid elastic bands are wound together, and for releasing said rotor when said bands unwind, to enable said rotor -to rise above the plane into its operative position. I

3. In a toy airplane, a m tor for driving the propeller of the plane, said motor comprising a plurality of elastic bandseonnected at one end to the propeller shaft of the plane, a lifting rotor mounted on the plane to be lowered toward the plane, when not in use, and to be elevated into operative position above the plane, and a spring latch arm connected to the other end of said elastic bands for holding said arm, with its latch in engagement withsaid rotor, for holding said whatever form it may be 0 bands, for holding said rotor inits lowered position, whensaid elastic bands are wound together, and for allowing said arm to' swing back, under the influence of its spring, to withdraw its latch from said rotor,

hub slidable on said pole, and a plurality of blades mounted on said hub, one of said blades being fixed on said hub and two of said blades being hinged to said hub to swing; one over and the other under said fixed blade, or to be swung into spaced operative relation to said fixed blade and to each other, means connected to said hinged blades for swinging said blades into said spaced relation and holding the same in such relation, means for holding'said rotor in its lowered position on said pole, with its blades folded one-overthe-other, and means for releasing, said holding means from said rotor, when the power of the propeller motor is reduced, for enabling said rotor to rise on said pole above the plane until the rotor hub engages said stop on said pole, where said hinged blades are swung into spaced relation with each other and with said fixed bladeof the rotor. K

5. In a toy airplane, a motor for driving the propeller of the plane, a foldable lifting rotor mounted on the plane to be lowered toward the plane and its blades folded one-over-the-other in its lowered position, and to be elevated above the plane into its operative position with its blades unfolded, means for engaging the outer end of one of the rotor blades for holding the rotor in its lower and folded position, and means for releasing said engaging means from said rotor blade, when the power of the propeller motor is reduced, for enabling said rotor'to rise above the plane and unfoldinto its operative position.

JULIUS GOLDMAN. 

